Malena Mendez-Dorn, a veteran of the nonprofit world, has been named President & CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County, a post she will assume in January 2021.
Mendez-Dorn will succeed longtime President & CEO Ana Cedeno, who will retire after 27 years of building the organization into one of the strongest Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies in the nation. She will work alongside Cedeno to facilitate a smooth transition – and tap into Cedeno’s wealth of institutional knowledge and experience.
“I’m so pleased to welcome Malena to the Big Brothers Big Sisters family,” said Chad Van Horn, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward Board Chair. “Malena brings tremendous enthusiasm, passion for our mission and strong fundraising experience to the position. If anyone could step into the shoes of someone as amazing as Ana Cedeno, it’s Malena.”
Mendez-Dorn, a Wilton Manors resident, comes to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward from the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, where she served for 18 years.
“I’m grateful the Broward Center offered me so many great opportunities to grow and thrive as a professional,” said Mendez-Dorn. “I’m thrilled now to apply my experience to Big Brothers Big Sisters, a great organization that helps kids realize their potential. I’m also extremely thankful to have the opportunity to work with Ana, a visionary who is a great inspiration to me.”
Mendez-Dorn, an expert in fundraising, sponsorship, marketing, events and relationship management, has a long history of volunteerism in the Broward County community. She has served in leadership positions for the Area Agency on Aging, Broward Alliance, Broward Latin Chamber of Commerce, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic Unity of Florida, Leadership Broward and Leadership Florida.
She was recognized for her community efforts as the recipient of the Leadership Broward Chair Award and the Broward County Commission Excellence in Community Service Award and was honored as a Leadership Broward Fun Lunch honoree, among the 100 Outstanding Women of Broward County and as a Hispanic Women of Distinction.
She also has volunteered for Big Brothers Big Sisters for the past seven years and was presented with the prestigious Champion of Children Award at Big Brothers Big Sisters signature Déjà Vu gala event.
“Malena has been a more than a dedicated volunteer – she has a heart for our mission and always has been willing to go above and beyond for Big Brothers Big Sisters,” said Cedeno. “While it’s certainly bittersweet to leave an organization that you’ve built and loved, I know it’s in excellent hands with Malena at the helm. I’m excited for the next chapter of this organization – and the next chapter of my life.”
Cedeno joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County as President & CEO in 1993. At that time, the organization had a staff of 10, a budget of $355K, and two programs serving 175 youth. Through her strategic and visionary leadership with a focus on organizational, board and fund development, the organization now boasts a staff of 23, a budget of $1.8M and five programs serving 1,370 youth. The organization additionally reaches more than 5,300 parents, guardians and siblings each year.
During her tenure, Cedeno launched Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents, Big Pride for LGBTQ+ youth and Bigs in Blue, which pairs youth with law enforcement officers, in addition to growing the traditional Community-Based and School-Based Mentoring programs.
Cedeno, who moved with her family to Miami from Cuba at age 6, has achieved numerous awards and tributes; including the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Skip Walsh National Professional Award, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America’s CEO of the Year, March of Dimes Woman of Distinction, United Way of Broward County Volunteer of the Year, Hispanic Woman of Distinction, and Women’s Way Volunteer of the Year. She also received the national Red Cross Tiffany Award, presented to her by then American Red Cross CEO, Elizabeth Dole.
About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County is dedicated to creating and supporting one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Its larger vision is for all youth achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.bbbsbroward.org or call (954) 584-9990.
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